Akhilesh ready to sacrifice few seats for alliance in UP

Lucknow: With the Lok Sabha polls in the offing, the Opposition alliance talks are on a crucial stage with all the major political parties demanding a lion's share in the seat sharing.

Now Samajwadi Party has gone ahead and has even announced to make sacrifice for the alliance. SP president Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday in Mainpuri has now made it clear that he is even ready to 'sacrifice' on seats in order to continue the alliance with the BSP.

"At any cost the alliance will happen during the Lok Sabha polls and opposition would field united candidate against the BJP. The alliance fight is long but we will stick to it at any cost and sacrifice," Mr Yadav said."Our alliance with BSP will continue in 2019, even if that means giving up a few seats. We have to ensure BJP is defeated," he said.

After successful experiments in three Lok Sabha bypolls, the SP-BSP alliance is being seen as a formidable force against the BJP. However, there are lots of issues that are sure to arise as far as seat sharing is concerned.With this new twist, the SP is now ready to play a number 2 in this alliance with BSP chief indicating that Mr Yadav is desperate to keep the alliance working.

The BSP is said to be demanding at least 40 of the total 80 seats in the state and even forcing the SP to give seats to smaller parties and Congress from the remaining 40.

The statement of the SP follows reports that BSP can dump SP as they are more eager to go for alliance with Congress in UP.

There are no words from the BSP even as Mayawati had agreed to go for alliance only if given 'respectable ' seats. However, there are reports that Congress and BSP have fixed a deal on the alliance for Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. In the recently held Assembly polls in Karnataka, the BSP forged an alliance with Janata Dal (Secular) and won one seat. The lone MLA was also given ministerial berth in the Karnataka cabinet.

On the other hand, Congress president Rahul Gandhi would be visiting his parliamentary constituency Amethi from June 14 for two days. "During the visit Rahul can speak on the alliance and the role of his party" , a senior Congress leaders said here on Monday.

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Minister Swami Prasad Maurya has on Monday, commented," Bua and Babua (Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav) will finish off with fighting between themselves. This isn't an alliance based on issues. An issue-less alliance never works. They will finish off before the election (2019) comes."

The coalition is said to pose a big challenge for the ruling government at the Centre in the crucial 2019 Lok Sabha elections.Last month, BJP chief Amit Shah also acknowledged that the BSP-SP alliance will be a challenge for his party in the 2019 elections. He, however, asserted that the BJP will defeat the Congress either in Amethi or Rae Bareli.

Ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls in Uttar Pradesh, the BSP, SP and RLD had formed an unprecedented alliance and brought down the saffron power in the three Lok Sabha and one Assembly constituencies in UP. (UNI)